The remains of the Priory of St Leonard at Brewood, generally known as White Ladies Priory. The land was given as a grant in 1186, and the architectural evidence also suggests a foundation in the late 12th century, and was a house of Augustinian nuns. It had a modest endowment and remained a small convent until it was dissolved in 1536. In 1538 during the suppression of the monasteries most of the buildings were taken down. Parts of the church remained and a timber-framed house was built onto the east end with a walled garden by the Skevington family. This was demolished in the 18th century. The future Charles II was given shelter at White Ladies during his flight from Parliamentary troops in September 1651, at which time the priory and nearby Boscobel House were owned by the Giffords. They were a Roman Catholic family, and the church precinct was used for Catholic burials until 1844. The gatehouse was still in use as a labourer's cottage in 1809. In 1938 the site was placed in the care of the Secretary of State.

A number of standing and buried remains of the priory have survived. The priory church had a five-bayed, aisleless nave, a quire, and a three-bayed, square-ended presbytery, with simple north and south transepts. The cloister was unconventionally attached to the north wall of the nave. The standing remains of the priory are made of coursed sandstone and include the presbytery and parts of the east and west walls of the transept. To the north of the ruins is evidence of the subsurface remains of the claustral buildings and ancillary structures within the priory precinct. The north-eastern edge of the precinct was marked by a line of fish ponds, one of which had been converted from a quarry scoop which had probably provided the stone for the priory's construction. A number of grave covers have also been found on the site, some of which date from the late 12th to mid 13th century. The site is now in the care of English Heritage.

The White Ladies of Brewood Forest. The Convent of White Ladies, dedicated to St Leonard, was founded nearly 800 years ago. Thought to have been Cistercian, and examination of the Magnum Registrum Album, and extracts made by the William Salt Library, show that in their own deeds and in grants to the convent, they are described as Augustinian.There was, however, little to distinguish them in their rule and dress from the Cistercians. One of the earliest references to the Convent is in 1186, when Ema De Pulverbatch granted a virgate of land to White Ladies. The convent was surrendered in 1536, there being only Six Nuns in the House.

A plan which has been submitted to the Ancient Monuments Dept. of the Board of Works shows that when the Boscobel Estate was sold in 1810, an acre of land was retained by Thomas Fitzherbert, Esq., as belonging to the convent, with a right of road to the Ruins. Visited in 1934 with Mr. Forrest, little more than the walls of the nuns' church remains. Ivy-covered, the only portion in fair condition is the outer face of the south wall adjacent to the south door. The buttresses of the north wall are probably of no very great age, only the arch of the north transept remains and fragments of the east and west walls. The ruined church stands on an open site with little or no evidence of the conventual buildings, or of the Elizabethan mansion which stood at the west end of the church. At the east end of the church, the turf is raised over the foundations of an isolated building, between which and the church interments have been found. A brook along the western side of the field had been broadened out and dammed to form a fish pool. The foundations of extensive buildings are to be traced in the ground. The priory was used as a refuge by Charles II after the Battle of Worcester. [Included is a detailed and illustrated description of the ruins]. (2)

In 1538 the site was let to a Wm. Skeffington, of Wolverhampton. He may have inhabited part of the domestic buildings of the priory, or he may have built the timber-framed house that was standing in 1651. (a) [See photograph of drawing from Wolverhampton 'Express and Star' of March 30th 1935]. (3)

The priory of White or Cistercian Nuns, Brewood. The site was granted to Wm. Whorwood, 31 Henry VIII, and still called White Ladyes. (4)

Description of remains of the church - [and continues] - The half-timbered house erected on the site after the Dissolution has been entirely demolished. Seen on Bucks view about 1730. (5)

Brief description and illustration of remains of the chapel at the Cistercian nunnery of Brewood, now White Ladies, dating the style of architecture to the latter part of the 12th century. (6)

"A capital of three heads carved in stone was dug up, in 1785, from beneath the floor of the anctient Monastery of White Ladies, near Tong Castle, in Shropshire". (11)

The ruined walls of the church survive, and constitute the only identifiable remains of the convent. Situated in a pasture field, the feature is surrounded by a fence, and is preserved as an Ancient Monument. It is open to public viewing, and has a custodian in regular attendance. For details of the remains see sketch plan. They have been re-surveyed on 25" AM. See AO/59/89/3 (Chapel from south east), and AO/59/89/4 (Church from north west) and post card photographs.

None of the building foundation mentioned by Authority (2) could be located, as neither could the 'capital of three heads' referred to by Authority (10). The brook along the west side of the field is no longer dammed, and its course has been recut. The fish pond is gone, but a slight hollow on the west side of the brook (at SJ 82560768) may represent its site.

('A' SJ 82570758). A position south west of the church was indicated by the custodian as the site of the Elizabethan mansion (the custodian obtained this information from members of the staff of the Wolverhampton "Express and Star" who recently visited the site, and are preparing material for publication on it). The area is under pasture and contains no visible building foundations. A scatter of tile fragments may be associated with the mansion. (12)

See illustration with SJ 80 NW 3 for DOE Guide. (13)

No change from survey of 21.11.59. (14)

Published Model revised. Guardianship area has been extended subsequent to last survey (pers. comm. Custodian Boscobel House). Site is surrounded by arable. (15)

SJ 826 076. White Ladies (St Leonard's ) Priory. Scheduled. The priory was founded in the late 12th century as a house of Augustinian nuns. It had a modest endowment and remained a small convent, however the standing remains show a remarkably high quality of craftsmanship in their construction and architectural detail, which had altered little since its foundation. The property was leased to William Skevington of Wolverhampton while the ownership was later granted to Henry VIII's solicitor-general, William Whorwood. However it was probably William Skevington who built the timber-framed house which is depicted in 17th century paintings and engravings. The future Charles II was sheltered at White Ladies during his flight from Parliamentary troops in September 1651. The property subsequently was demolished during the 18th century, however its gatehouse was still in use as a labourer's cottage in 1809. Until 1844 the church was used as a Roman Catholic burial place.

The priory church is aligned east-west and had a five-bayed, aisleless nave, a quire, and a three-bayed, square-ended presbytery, with simple north and south transepts. The cloister was unconventionally attached to the north wall of the nave. The medieval fabric of the priory remains virtually unaltered by the construction of Skevington's timber-framed house which was attached to the east end of the church.

The standing remains of the priory are of coursed sandstone construction. Of the presbytery, all but the south wall stands to its full height. A fine round-headed arch leads from the quire into the north transept. The capitals are decorated in the Romanesquetradition characteristic of the 12th century. Parts of the east and west walls of the transept remain to either side of the arch. The position of the cloister is indicated by a square platform extending from the north wall of the nave.

A number of grave covers have been found on the site, among them two dating from the late 12th to mid-13th century.

To the east of the priory ruins, and now separated from them by the modern track, are the remains of a quarry scoop which has been cut into the natural slope, probably to provide building material for the priory. The southern end of this hollow has subsequently been modified to form the north side of a fishpond which was fed by a spring from the south. At its northern end are the earthwork remains of a second, larger, pond bay. This line of ponds, connected by the earthen bank, forms the north eastern boundary of the priory precinct. To the north and north-west of the priory ruins is evidence of the presence of subsurface foundations and rubble, the remains of the claustral buildings and ancillary structures such as barns and guest accommodation which would have occupied the precinct.

The 16th century house which was built near the priory no longer stands, however, 17th century engravings and paintings show it to have been a substantial timber-framed dwelling with a hall, cross range, and a two-storeyed porch attached to the east end of the church. The depictions indicate that the cloisters were incorporated into a walled privy garden, and that the house itself was surrounded by a wall with a timber-framed gatehouse opposite the porch.

For more information please see the sources. (16-17)

Please refer to the guide book with details on the priory's history and buildings. (18-19)

The ruins of the late 12th century church of a small nunnery of "White Ladies" or Augustinian canonesses. Charles II hid there in 1651 before moving to Boscobel House. (20)

Additional reference. (21)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Annotated Record Map

OS 6" 1903

(2) Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society